Ilocos Sur Voyage Tips and guide

Contents

Map of Ilocos Sur

• 17.57472120.386941 Vigan - this city was transformed into a commercial, religious, social, and cultural center by Spanish settlers during the 16th century. Today, this provincial capital still has well-maintained cobble-stoned streets and ancestral homes, ensuring its inclusion to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
• Candon

Ilocos Sur was carved out into a separated of the historical Ilocos province in 1818, and had previously included parts of what is now Abra and western Mountain Province in the Luzon Cordilleras, and the northern parts of present-day La Union. The provinces's present boundaries were defined in 1910.

Ilocos Sur have a long history of revolts against Spanish rule, and the southern (Abagatan) Ilocanos have been known to revolt against the Spaniards even before the creation of their own province. From 1762 to 1763, Diego Silang launched a rebellion against the Spanish, which ended with his assassination; his wife Gabriela continued the revolt until she was also killed in battle. Sporadic revolts continued when Ilocos Sur came to become its own province, as it was used as a source of cheap labor for the Spanish authorities in Abra and Cagayan Valley.

Since February 2017 Vigan's domestic airport (VGN ^IATA, confusingly called "Mindoro Airport"), located southwest of the city, has re-opened with daily flights to/from Manila, & Basco, Batanes.

The next nearest airport is Laoag International Airport (LAO ^IATA), in the nearby province of Ilocos Norte. The airport caters to both international and domestic flights. The national carrier, Philippines Airlines, has four flights each week to Laoag. A bus trip from the airport to Ilocos Sur would take over an hour.

Dominion Bus Line and Partas have bus services from Manila and Baguio into Vigan via Manila North Rd (Rte 2). The buses from Manila take the expressways for part of the journey, and are usually standard AC to deluxe/executive class.

Ilocos Sur is served by the Manila North Rd (Rte 2) from Manila. No expressways serve Ilocos Sur yet as of 2025. From Manila, the drive takes 6-8 hours, and 3-6 hours from Baguio and 5-7 hours from Angeles City.

The most common rural mode of transportation would be tricycles and the calesa or traditional horse-drawn carriages. Getting from one municipality to another would require taking a bus, UV Express (van shuttle), or jeepney.

• 17.1812120.651 Quirino Skyline/Tirad Pass. designated a National Shrine, this pass was the site of a battle led by a young general named Gregorio del Pilar against revolutionary forces led by hero Emilio Aguinaldo (updated Oct 2020)
• 17.36637120.483052 Santa Maria Church. located in the eponymous town, this is a National Landmark used as a fortress during the Philippine Revolution and one four world heritage listed baroque churches on the Philippines. (updated Oct 2020)
• 17.46464120.43513 Northern Luzon Heroes Hill National Park. located in Santa and is where a historical marker of heroine Gabriela Silang is located. (updated Oct 2020)
• 17.33943120.439914 San Esteban and Sulvec Watchtowers. rotund structures used to serve as look-out points for pirates (updated Oct 2020)